Spinners, Farhan seal comfortable win for Pakistan

Shadab Khan belted 30 off 12 balls then stifled USA's chase with 2 for 26 to spearhead Pakistan's second win of the T20 World Cup. After they snuck past Netherlands in a heart-stopping tournament opener on Saturday, this was a routine victory for Pakistan which highlighted how dangerous their spin-dominated attack might be on Sri Lankan pitches.

Sahibzada Farhan underpinned Pakistan's total of 190 for 9 - their highest score at a T20 World Cup since the 2016 edition - with 73 off 41 balls, sharing partnerships worth 54 and 81 with Saim Ayub and Babar Azam respectively. But it was Shadab's late launch from No. 6 that gave them a winning score, despite a chaotic finish to their innings.

Shadley van Schalkwyk, USA's standout bowler when they ran India close on Saturday night, returned identical figures of 4 for 25 as he leaned heavily on his slower balls. But the injured Ali Khan was a big miss, and a repeat of the USA's famous Super Over victory when the teams met at the 2024 T20 World Cup always felt unlikely.

The run chase started brightly thanks to Shayan Jahangir, one of three Pakistan-born players in the USA side, who made 49 off 34. But Pakistan's five spinners turned the screw through the middle of the innings, returning combined figures of 7 for 115 in 16 overs as they were backed up by an impressive effort in the field.

Shubham Ranjane, still carrying the injury that he picked up against India, showed some resistance, hauling back-to-back sixes off Shaheen Shah Afridi over the leg side. But by the time he reached a 28-ball half-century - his first in T20Is - the equation was 35 off the last five balls, and he was trapped lbw two balls later.

The result takes Pakistan top of the nascent Group A table with two wins from two; after the withdrawal of the government's boycott order on Monday night, their next opponents will be India on Sunday.

Ayub made an instant statement of intent by skipping down the pitch and trying to launch the first ball of the match back over Saurabh Netravalkar's head for six. He only connected with thin air, but successfully cleared the long-on boundary two balls later to kickstart a boundary-laden opening stand with Farhan.

It was Farhan who made most of the running. He hit three fours in the space of four balls from USA debutant - and nine-cap former Pakistan international - Ehsan Adil, and took 16 runs from offspinner Milind Kumar's over to leave Pakistan 54 for 0 after five overs, despite chewing up 18 dot balls.

Van Schalkwyk's slower balls proved effective again, producing two wickets in the final over of the Powerplay: Ayub sliced a catch to short third reaching for a wide one, and Salman Agha was tucked up as he looked to give himself room, heaving a cutter straight to deep backward square. It prompted a period of consolidation, with a single boundary in the next five overs.

Babar ground his way to 15 off 17 balls before switching gear in the 13th over, launching Harmeet Singh's left-arm spin over midwicket for six then hitting back-to-back boundaries, the second a rifled cut shot from a low base. He was well caught by Milind at long-on soon after drinks for 46 off 32, eventually showing signs of rhythm after a scratchy start to the World Cup.

Farhan, who had powered to a 27-ball half-century, was well caught by Sanjay Krishnamurthi on the long-off boundary in Harmeet's final over, and Pakistan reshuffled their batting line-up after a partnership worth 81 in 53 balls. Usman Khan slid down to No. 8, below Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab and Faheem Ashraf, and Shadab made the most of his promotion.

He belted Netravalkar's slower ball for six, then took Adil for three consecutive fours on his way to 30 off 12. His dismissal, splicing a catch behind off the impressive van Schalkwyk, was the first of five wickets to fall in the final 10 balls - including two run-outs in the final over - but Shaheen's late blow dragged Pakistan up to 190.

Jahangir replaced Saiteja Mukkamalla at the top of the order and made a fast start. He whipped Shaheen through midwicket for four, rocked back to heave Ayub over wide long-on, and dumped Abrar Ahmed back over his head to take USA to 50 in the powerplay, for the loss of Andries Gous, caught at mid-off off Nawaz.

But they got bogged down by spin through the middle of the innings, with Monank Patel mistiming a slog-sweep back to Shadab for a painstaking 3 off 10. Jahangir launched Nawaz through long-off for four to end a 28-ball stretch without a boundary, but mistimed Shadab's wrong 'un to long-on to fall one run short of a first T20 World Cup half-century.

Milind and Ranjane added 54 off 35 for the fourth wicket, but could not prevent the asking rate spiralling out of control. Usman Tariq, who replaced Salman Mirza to leave Pakistan with a single frontline seamer, had Milind caught on the edge of the ring, then struck twice in two balls to finish with 3 for 27 in his first match at an ICC event.